Purpose Hyperacusis can be extremely debilitating, and at present, there is no cure. We provide an overview of the field, and possible related areas, in the hope of facilitating future research. Method We review and reference literature on hyperacusis and related areas. We have divided the review into 2 articles. In Part I, we discuss definitions, epidemiology, different etiologies and subgroups, and how hyperacusis affects people. In Part II, we review measurements, models, mechanisms, and treatments, and we finish with some suggestions for further research. Results Hyperacusis encompasses a wide range of reactions to sound, which can be grouped into the categories of excessive loudness, annoyance, fear, and pain. Many different causes have been proposed, and it will be important to appreciate and quantify different subgroups. Reasonable approaches to assessing the different forms of hyperacusis are emerging, including psychoacoustical measures, questionnaires, and brain imaging. Conclusions Hyperacusis ...

A review of hyperacusis and future directions : part I. Definitions and manifestations.

Background: Misophonia is a condition related to experiencing psychophysiological sensations when exposed to specific sound triggers. In spite of progress in research on the subject, a fully validated questionnaire assessing misophonia has not been published yet. The goal of this study was to create and validate a new questionnaire to measure misophonia. Methods: MisoQuest is based on the diagnostic criteria proposed by Schroder et al. in 2013, with minor changes implemented by the authors of MisoQuest. A total of 705 participants took part in the study, completing the online questionnaires. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and analyses using the Item Response Theory (IRT) were performed. Internal consistency was evaluated with Cronbach’s alpha. Results: The reliability of the MisoQuest was excellent (α = 0.955). The stability at five weeks was strong. There was a significant difference in results between people classified as those with misophonia and those without misophonia. Conclusions: MisoQuest has good psychometric values and can be helpful in the identification of misophonia. A deeper analysis showed that certain triggers might be more specific for people with misophonia. Consideration of violent behavior in response to misophonic triggers as a symptom of misophonia was undermined.

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/5/1797/pdf

Development and Psychometric Properties of MisoQuest-A New Self-Report Questionnaire for Misophonia.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of reduced sound tolerance (hyperacusis) in a UK population of 11-year-old children and examine the association of early life and auditory risk factors with report of hyperacusis. DESIGN: A prospective UK population-based study. STUDY SAMPLE: A total of 7097 eleven-year-old children within the Avon longitudinal study of parents and children (ALSPAC) were asked about sound tolerance; hearing and middle-ear function was measured using audiometry, otoacoustic emissions, and tympanometry. Information on neonatal risk factors and socioeconomic factors were obtained through parental questionnaires. RESULTS: 3.7% (95% CI 3.25, 4.14) children reported hyperacusis. Hyperacusis report was less likely in females (adj OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.49, 0.85), and was more likely with higher maternal education level (adj OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.08, 2.72) and with readmission to hospital in first four weeks (adj OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.20, 3.25). Report of hyperacusis was associated with larger amplitude otoacoustic emissions but with no other auditory factors. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of hyperacusis in the population of 11-year-old UK children is estimated to be 3.7%. It is more common in boys.

Prevalence and risk factors for reduced sound tolerance (hyperacusis) in children

Objectives Despite increasing interest in hyperacusis and other disorders of auditory sensitivity, there is still a lack of valid, standardized assessment tools to measure symptom severity, treatment outcomes, and diagnostic differentiation. Accordingly, this study sought to create a new scale that is reliable, valid, brief, and easy to score with the purpose of filling this gap. Design Original items were constructed through review of currently existing models of hyperacusis measurement, as well as qualitative data collected from professional audiologists and individuals reporting heightened audiological sensitivity with tinnitus. An initial 26-item scale yielded sound reliability and validity properties. Refinement based on review of initial data resulted in a 25-question second version with a maximum score of 100. A total of 450 completed survey protocols were analyzed from 469 refined Inventory of Hyperacusis Symptoms (IHS) administrations collected online, representing individuals from 37 countries with a mean age of 34.8 years. Results Internal consistency reliability analysis yielded a Cronbach's α of 0.93, indicating excellent reliability. Furthermore, the IHS showed sound convergent validity with established measures of quality of life, anxiety, and depression in bivariate correlation analysis of Pearson's r. Factor analysis revealed a dimensional structure containing five factors, which were designated psychosocial impact, emotional arousal, functional impact, general loudness, and communication. Analysis of variance between perceived global hyperacusis severity categories provided a preliminary framework for scoring thresholds. Although the level of hearing loss did not correlate with IHS scores, increased tinnitus symptoms were a significant factor in predicting hyperacusis distress and severity. Conclusions These initial results demonstrated sound statistical properties of the IHS and usefulness as a hyperacusis measurement tool in research and clinical practice. Factor structure and scale dimensions allow for differentiation between subtypes of loudness, annoyance, fear, and pain based on responses to clusters of specific items within the dimensional factor structure of the scale, and may thus prove useful in clinical practice and research.

Psychometric Properties and Factor Structure of a New Scale to Measure Hyperacusis: Introducing the Inventory of Hyperacusis Symptoms.

Introduction There is some debate as to what extent epidemiological data for the prevalence of childhood tinnitus can be relied on. While indications are that the prevalence is relatively high, referral numbers for children with tinnitus are reported to be low and many of the studies have a number of methodological difficulties. We describe the protocol of a systematic review aimed at assessing the prevalence of tinnitus and/or hyperacusis in children and young people. Methods and analysis We will include studies of any design (except case reports or case series) comparing the prevalence of tinnitus and/or hyperacusis in children and young people with and without hearing loss, any known external exposure and psychological disorders. We will search the following databases: PubMed, EMBASE and Scopus. No restrictions of language will be applied in the search strategy but during the article selection language is limited to English, German and Scandinavian languages. Primary and additional outcomes will be the prevalence of tinnitus/hyperacusis and the severity, respectively. Ethics and dissemination No ethical issues are foreseen. The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at national and international conferences of audiology and paediatrics. Trail registration number This review protocol is registered in the PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews, registration number CRD42014013456.

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/5/1/e006649.full.pdf

Prevalence of tinnitus and/or hyperacusis in children and adolescents: study protocol for a systematic review.

Phonophobia and hyperacusis are two separate but closely related symptoms that are often mistakenly used in clinical practice as the same entity. Here we present a case report to highlight the distinguishing features of both and discuss the steps of management in these conditions. It is vital for the attending doctors to recognise hyperacusis and phonophobia as different entities to manage them successfully.

/pdf/phonophobia-and-hyperacusis-practical-points-from-a-case-1wit5yysou.pdf

Nora Mat Zain

Papers

Phonophobia and hyperacusis: practical points from a case report.